The International Conference Celebrating The Publication of the Complete Works of Li Fang-Kuei and The Publication of the Bulletin of Chinese Linguistics

To celebrate the publication of the Complete Works of Li Fang-Kuei and the Bulletin of Chinese Linguistics, a special international conference was held on May 30-31, 2006, in Taipei. The conference was hosted and sponsored by the Institute of Linguistics of the Academia Sinica, the Li Fang-Kuei Society for Chinese Linguistics, Tsinghua University, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. More than fifty scholars took part in the celebration, including those from China mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, the U.S., Canada and France. Members of Professor Li’s family were also present at the event. Special tributes were made during the opening and closing sessions by Professors Cheng Chin-Chuan, H. Samuel Cheung, Dai Qingxia, Paul Jen-Kuei Li, Peter Li, Sun Hongkai, Ting Pang-Hsin, Wang Qilong, and William S.-Y. Wang. While some recounted fond memories of studying under Professor Li’s tutelage, and others acknowledged the immense contribution that Professor Li made to the study of Sinitic and non-Sinitic languages, they all stressed not only the significance of publishing the Complete Works as a means to access his wide range of knowledge, but also the need to continue and build on his tradition of fine scholarship. Special announcements were made about the Bulletin of Chinese Linguistics (BCL), a joint publication by the Li Fang-Kuei Society for Chinese Linguistics and the Centre for Chinese Linguistics of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. BCL publishes research in Chinese linguistics with a special focus on historical comparative study and dialectal research. Its areas of interest also include Sino-Tibetan and other languages related to Chinese. This thematic focus reflects the spirit of Professor Li’s own research, and aims to promote a healthy course of development that Chinese linguistics will take in the future. The publication received zealous blessings from all those who were present at the Conference.